Tug-of-War…Over the Gator Pit

Collaboration, confrontation, carnivores.

Bridge the communication gap—and possibly fall into it—with our high-tension Tug-of-War Conflict Lab™. Teams are split by department, ideology, or unresolved coffee station etiquette, and must engage in literal tug-of-war over the Gator Consequence Basin.Say goodbye to trust falls and awkward icebreakers. This is team-building with teeth — literally. In this high-stakes battle of "communication styles," departments are split, handed a rope, and told to “resolve their issues” while standing over a pit of medium-agitated alligators with names like Wanda and Regret.

There are no rules. There is no referee. There is only rope, grudges, and the shrill war-cry of Kyle from Marketing yelling, “THIS IS FOR THE BUDGET CUTS!”

Participants dig in. Teams scream things like “ALIGN, YOU COWARDS!” and “YOU NEVER REPLIED TO MY SLIDE COMMENTS!” while HR looks on, filing something quietly. At some point, someone tries to invoke empathy. That person usually goes in first.

Why Managers Love It:

  • It clears up tension by ripping it out of the ground.

  • Turns abstract problems into physical chaos you can livestream.

  • Encourages team cohesion through shared trauma and light rope burn.

  • Conveniently reduces headcount and unresolved action items.

What It Teaches:

  • Strategic grip maintenance

  • Emotional flexibility under duress

  • Which departments are ready to literally fight for Q3

🧠 Bonus: The gators are trained to hiss every time someone says “synergy.” They hiss a lot.

⚠️ Warning: Participants most likely to be “accidentally released” include:

  • People who say “I was actually just about to do that…”

  • Those use passive-aggressive emojis

  • Participants who regularly interrupt in meetings

  • Anyone who insists on “playing devil’s advocate”

Meet the Gators

  • Wanda

    Wanda, 13, was born in Gainesville and trained in passive-aggressive lunges. She channels the rage of overlooked PTO requests and stolen lunches. Known to inch closer when someone mentions “team bonding.” Has never lost a staring contest or a grudge match. Dislikes eye contact. Once bit a kayak in half. Emotionally complex. Favorite snack is hesitation.

  • Lars

    Lars, 14, is from Georgia’s quieter, moodier swamps. He appreciates minimalism, poorly reinforced ideas, and chaos disguised as constructive feedback. His pet peeves are loud splashing, forced camaraderie, any kind of chanting. He is known to surface exactly when someone questions their own confidence. His side-eye can make flowers wither.

  • Clarence

    Clarence is 19 and emerged from a misty golf course pond already holding a grudge. He’s known to silently float just beneath the surface of the retreat pond for hours, watching, calculating, and absolutely judging. He has been known to track people across the wetlands based solely on the tone of their laughter and unexplainable hates people who call themselves “fun.”

  • Keith

    Keith, 10, has full-on gremlin energy. He was found under a condemned waterslide and is the youngest alligator. He is pure mayhem in reptilian form — a shrieking, hissing, mud-slick blur of motion that only stops to giggle and bite something. His pet peeves are movement and eye contact. He has a TikTok channel nobody understands. His favorite food is paperwork.

Tripadvisor Reviews

  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “We screamed. We cried. We let Bryce go. Wanda accepted the offering. 10/10.”

    Landon, Milwaukee

  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “The rope burns were worth it. Also I’ve never respected Carol from Admin more. She pulled like a tank.”

    Sarah, Sauk Center

  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Watching Marketing and Finance settle their issues physically—with gators beneath them—was the most cathartic thing I’ve seen since cable TV.”

    AmyJo, Kansas City